Has Iraq broken up? That might seem like one of those questions where the answer is self-evident, but perhaps not. If the country has broken up for good, why do we still refer to it as one country? Long after the process of breaking up began, we still refer to Iraq as a single state. Why is that?

The leaders who started this war are responsible for serious incompetence. Of course they do not want to admit that. When a politician comes along who frankly and publicly points out the consequences of their malfeasance, those leaders will not respond in a friendly way. They will defend themselves, even if the truth about what they did is plain to everyone.

Whatever plans the Islamic State carries out, Iraq is partitioned. The Kurds will not relinquish their sizable enclave. Iraqi Shiites will fight hard for their large chunk of oil-rich territory. Who in the entire eastern territories would have real motivation to retake the western part of the country from the Islamic State?